Honor and Professionalism Advocacy Council

The Honor and Professionalism Advocacy Council (HPAC) is a peer-to-peer professionalism accountability and advocacy system instituted in the Spring of 2014. This committee of students from M1 through M4 work to identify and address any professionalism issues brought to their attention by faculty, staff, and their fellow students. Through the use of an electronic submission form, the Early Concern Note (ECN), specific issues are securely handled by the HPAC, who contact the student of concern for an informal discussion on his or her Note. The goal of the HPAC is to make students aware of how he or she is being perceived by those around them and, more importantly, provide insight and advice as to how they can better the professionalism impressions that he or she makes in the future.

The first Early Concern Note is a low stakes opportunity for students to improve their professionalism issues. Hopefully, issues become resolved after the first Early Concern Note, reducing the chance of negative evaluations during clerkship years and negative statements on his or her Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE), which is forwarded to residency programs. Students receiving second and third Early Concern Notes lead to more serious consequences with School of Medicine administration, as these students have shown a pattern of unprofessional behavior as well as a disregard for previous recommendations. Again, the HPAC is a body of medical students, serving to improve the future graduates of UofL School of Medicine and produce residents that uphold our university's reputation at their respective programs.

Those wishing to submit an Early Concern Note - remember to only use the ECN as a tool to help your fellow students. Furthermore, speaking with the student of concern face to face is also proven to be effective.

Those who have received and ECN - the information provided here is summarized. For more information, please contact the HPAC directly at HPAC@louisville.edu. The first ECN is an opportunity for discussion and not consequences or punishment. Therefore, take advantage of this chance to learn how your actions have made an impression on other students, faculty, or physicians, and learn to correct it for the future success as a physician and colleague.